The Bakers Dog: Artifact Analysis

Cypro-Archaic Terracotta Figures

The Cypro-Archaic period, spanning from approximately 750 to 475 BCE, was a time of significant artistic and cultural development in ancient Cyprus. One type of artifact that is pervasive throughout this period are the crudely made terracotta figures found throughout the island. These figures usually represent single horses, people riding horses (Artefact 1), musicians or warriors (Artefact 2). Sometimes the figures are more complex such as commonly found chariot group scenes (Artefact 3).

1: Horse and rider

2: Terracotta Warrior Figurine

3: Chariot group

The Bronze Age is known for many fantastical artifacts showing scenes from every day lives, these have not only been invaluable to Archeologists piecing together the past but also represent objects of incredible beauty. The Iron age lacks these, barring free field art forms which are usually far more abstract, there isn't much to represent everyday life of ancient Cyprus. The more crudely shaped terracotta figures are one of the few artefacts which do give us glimpses into every day life of the Archaic period. One of the most fascinating of these crude terracotta from this era is currently housed in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria and is the focus of this article.

The Baker and her Dog

The Baker and the Dog - Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria

A strinkingly elongated nose, a large turban, ears dotted with the remainds of red slip, a womanly figure sits upon a small stool while leaning and facing straight forwards. Her sex only known to us by the single separate pellets that were added to her clay form.

The woman's attention is fixed on the task at hand. A rounded frying pan, perched steadily on three stout legs, rests at the edge of the plaque. Within it sits a perfectly formed donut shaped piece of clay, likely being a type of bread similar to modern Koulouri.

While her right hand works the bread, her left hangs down her side, with her knuckles resting on a basket with her palm open facing up. Inside the basket are four already formed Koulouri, also being composed by individual small pieces of clay.

Perhaps her companion, a dog like quadruped figure with a long tail, stands with its nose pressed against the Koulouri within the basket. I like to imagine that her left hand is there to stop her dog from stealing more food, a task I often have to do with my cats.

While the pigment has almost completely vanished from the figure, as it has with many of these Terracotta pieces, some black remains on the womans arm and her dogs body.

While many group scenes might be rare, few are so evocative. While this piece is not the most artistically sensible, and it is difficult at times to tell what was the artists intent and what was a byproduct of the rushed making process, there is something undeniably beautiful about every day scenes from the past.

We have no way of knowing who these people were other than the small footprints they left behind. This is one of the very few pieces surviving to the present day that offer us a window into their world.

You can find this figure in our catalogue (Artifact 5), as well as in the Kunsthistorisches museum

5: Cake baker and dog

Baking in Ancient Cyprus

4: Terracotta woman baking bread

Research into the diet, food preparation and cooking of ancient Cypriots is vastly lacking. There are some attempts to discuss Bronze Age diets but not much of the iron age period.

With regards to baking bread, there are a few different examples of Terracotta figures, such as in Artefact 4, where a woman is seen leaning forwards and throwing round disks of dough onto the walls of a spherical oven. The oven has a hole at the bottom allowing for the intake of oxygen and has a wide mouth for access to the bread. While this is not relevant to the analysis, I do find the use of red slip on her shoes rather amusing.

Koulouri

The Baker and the Dog - Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria

Koulouri, a traditional Cypriot bread, has been a staple of the island's cuisine for centuries. This distinctive circular bread, often topped with sesame seeds and is one of my very favourite breads. In fact when my mother visits from either Greece or Cyprus I often ask her to bring some Koulouri along with other food.

The shape of the bread being prepared by the Baker (and her assisting dog) is identical to Koulouri. It is also very clearly shaped on purpose, being made of a separate piece of clay that had then been attached. I am not sure as to the origins of Koulouri, and cursory internet research has yielded little results, however the Kunsthistorisches museum also calls this bread "koulouri". It would be fascinating to think that my very favourite bread is the one that has been enjoyed in the late Iron age.

Koulouri remains a popular snack and breakfast item in Cyprus. It is often sold by street vendors and bakeries, and is enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. The bread's chewy texture and slightly sweet, nutty flavor from the sesame seeds make it a satisfying and delicious treat. Make sure to try it on your next visit!